GamesMaster Issue 3
This magazine was cover dated March 1993 and priced at £1.75. Network News Sega trying to take Codies outside for a kicking - (8) Are videogames dangerous? - (8) Prices up again? - (9) Bedroom-arcade fantasy realised! - Super Gun - (9) Barcodes in "not completely boring" shocker - (10) Zool coin-op on the way - (10) Dishing it out - Games World starts on Sky - (11) Activator - (11) Exclusive - Street Fighter 2 - The Movie - (12) VR Family - Cyberdelia - (13) Games are good for you - Official - (13) Ecco the Dolphin lives - Sega adopt dolphin - (14) Brace yourself for Dong - (14) Previews Chuck Rock II: Son of Chuck - Amiga - 1 page (31) Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind - SNES - 1 page (32-33) Ragnarok - Amiga - ½ page (32) Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose! - SNES - ½ page (33) Jimmy Connors Pro Tennis Tour - Game Boy - ½ page (34) Krusty's Fun House - Game Boy - ½ page (34) Jaki Crush - SNES - 1 page (35) Sunset Riders - Mega Drive - 1 page (36) Features Dominik's Big Purple Column - Dominik Diamond - 2 pages (19-20) TV News - 2 pages (22-23) This Man (Trip Hawkins) is About to Destroy Sega and Nintendo with This (3DO) - 2 pages (28-29) Virtual Arcade - Gary Penn - 3 pages (37-39) : Virtual Quest Centre and Legend Quest Letters - 2 pages (110-111) Reviews 'Table' Other Details 'Verdicts' Nick Faldo's Championship Golf : A very well presented golf program. Easy to get into and good fun to play - if you're a fan that is. Up to four players can take part and there are enough options to keep technical fans happy. It's not quite as addictive as PGA, though it does make a darn good alternative. Ranma 1/2 : What can I say? This is one of the funniest games I have played in a long time. It isn't spoiled at all by the Japanese text, in fact if anything this enhances the laughs. It looks great and even though it lacks some of the moves of other beat-em-ups, this has to be a worthwhile addition to your collection. Oh hell, i'll just come out and say it, I like it. But it isn't as good as Streetfighter 2... agggh I said it. Mutant League Football : Nice idea, I suppose, and very well executed (ha-ha). There's a great deal of stuff you can do, but so you'd expect with an American footy game. But as a cart to really get stuck into on a rainy Sunday afternoon, it's inferior to Madden, and once all the chuckling at the skeletons / blood / screaming / pain has finished, you'll be left a bit high and dry with it. (Even though it might be raining outside, you see). Chester Cheetah: Too Cool to Fool : When a company decides to use a character from an advert in a game they should either a) make the game interesting or b) use a half-decent character. Sadly Kaneko have done neither and thus have landed themselves with a rather naff game. Personally I'd rather have seen a Mr Sheen simulator. Fly Mr Sheen around the screen in a bid to clean up crime. But that's just me. Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing : Nice idea, guys, but there's no gameplay. Simply hammering one button does nothing for the excitement factor of those participating. This is a game which looks good, and has a nice catch, namely the licence of the big man himself. But in fact it's rubbish and really isn't worth buying. Ecco the Dolphin : Something ver new. There is more to life than beat-em-ups, shoot-em-ups, platform games and endless coin-op conversions. Ecco has masses of cute-appeal, but it will also impress and tax the most cynical, hardened game freaks. It may even make you ponder the origins of that tuna fish sandwich... Fatal Fury : While Fatal Fury is a good-looking romp, even by SNES standards, it's less detailed, less entertaining, less interesting and less enjoyable than The Other Game. If you're in the middle of some mad spending spree or are doing some thesis on beat-em-ups, Fatal Fury might be worth a look. Otherwise, it's just not innovative enough to justify your attention. Road Runner's Death Valley Rally : Little more than a platform game with some great graphics. It is mildly funny at first as you speed around the level but you soon realise there isn't much to do. Looks can be deceiving, as the old saying goes, and this certainly backs it up. Looks good, sounds good, plays like a complete donkey. Maybe with a few continues it would have held my attention for longer but I doubt it very much. Mega-Lo-Mania : Well, I'm damn glad this little sucker is out for the Mega Drive, because it's a great game in two or three senses of the word, probably. It's big, it's fun for a quick bash, and once you get good, it's more absorbing than one of those pant-liner things. Got a Mega Drive? The get this! Mega-Lo-Mania might not teach you everything about history, but it sure as hell makes it fun. Super Off-Road :Big trucks! Mud! Engines! Nitros! Money! Super Off Road could well have been the classic romp and Micro Machines basher that the SNES needs. It's certainly got all the ingredients nut, um, it isn't quite there. However, it's fast, slick and enjoyable enough to justify the cash. Jimmy Connors Pro Tennis Tour :Overall this is a whole lot better than Super Tennis. There are a lot more options included and the control system is much more user-friendly. Everything in the game is smooth and the ball glides effortlessly around the screen. The ability to choose between a range of players is a great bonus. Streets of Rage 2 :Although this is a fine game, that Sonic 2 problem arises again... How different is it from Streets of Rage 1 and is it worth doshing out £45 if you own the original? The big saving factor here is the dual mode. Stalking your opponent until you get a chance to crack him over the head may not please the moral majority, but, once both players have mastered the controls, it's fabulous fun. A chance to practise one-on-one beating-em-up until *@!%$ 2 arrives. Dragon's Lair 3 : A software bimbo. Looks great, sounds smashing, but hardly a woman of substance. Nuff said. Super SWIV : This is one of the finer shoot-em-ups on the SNES and should definitely figure in your collection. The two-player mode also makes for great fun and stealing all the power-ups from your mates is an excellent laugh. Apart from the difficulty of the later levels, this should be a real test of your gaming abilities. If you can complete this in a day then you're just quite good. Wimps need not apply. Sleepwalker : It would have been easy for Ocean to chuck out any old piece of software and say it's for charity. Luckily however they seem to have got themselves a half-decent game for the Comic Relief business. It's not the easiest puzzle game going but, as ever, perseverance, will pay off. Dark Seed : As the sole member of the GM team who admits to enjoying the odd adventure, it looks as though it's up to me to steer you away from naff adventure games. This is in no way one of those games. Dark Seed is a superbly playable adventure. With Giger's brilliant artwork and a sensible control system it is a joy to play. The Incredible Crash Dummies : Playable and surprisingly compelling, Crash Dummies should provide enough challenge to keep you trying in the short term, and enough interest to keep you returning in the long term. Plenty of original touches and great fun. James Bond: The Duel : What makes this game special? What sets it apart from the rest? What individual style does it have? Well, none, really. It's competently done, but there's no atmosphere. So this is really a case of James Bland. The King of Rally : After a short while this will bore the pants off you. A lot better to watch than to play with all the zooming stuff looking very impressive. You soon realise that all you have to do is go left, go right, go left, go right... Not enough hazards to make the tracks interesting. All in all, a naff attempt at a different kind of racing game, and for £65 you could do a lot better. Dropzone : Vicious and mindbendingly playable. The format may seem a little dated, but the game certainly doesn't skimp on the addictiveness and the sheer fun of the challenge is a big aspect of what makes Drop Zone such a dead cert. Super Kick Off : Super Kick Off is the best Mega Drive football game, but then again there aren't that many around to go up against it. It's fast, it's furious and there are a lot of options to make playing it more fun. Ultimately it might be a bit wearing, because occasionally the men don't do what you want, but you can blame having a crap team for that. Not bad at all, Brian parrot moon, to coin a cliche. Test Drive II: The Duel : Test Drive 2 is starting to look a bit dated now and this version doesn't take advantage of what the SNES hardware can do. The initial playability soon turns into complete boredom as you just get to do the same thing over and over, even then the excited "Yeah" as you out-run the police speed trap gets on your nerves after a while. Take a careful look at this before you decide to buy it. Tips Rolo to the Rescue - Mega Drive - Guide - 2 pages (87-88) Curse of Enchantia - Amiga - Guide - 2 pages (90-91) Axelay - SNES - Guide - 2 pages (92-93) Another World - SNES - Guide - 3 pages (94-96) Street Fighter 2 - SNES - Expert's Guide - 3 pages (98-100) Action Replay and Game Genie - 3 pages (101-103) Adverts Super Play Issue 4 MEGA Issue 6 Other Credits Art Editor :Wayne Allen Reviews Editor :James Leach Production Editor :Alison Harper Production Assistant :Deborah Cook Staff Writers :Andy Lowe, Les Ellis Deputy Art Editor :Lam Tang Art Assistant :Simon Barnes Games "Player" :Adrian Price Contributors :Steve Jarratt, Neil West, Andy Dyer, Mark Ramshaw, Andy Smith, Matt Bielby, Gary Penn, Dominik Diamond, Steve Carsey Issue Index Category:Contains PC Engine Reviews Category:Contains SNES Reviews Category:Contains Mega Drive Reviews Category:Contains Amiga Reviews Category:Contains Game Boy Reviews